THE SHATTER POINT

So begins Jon O’Bergh’s suspenseful novel, The Shatter Point, an intriguing study of contemporary society wrapped inside a ghost story that is wrapped inside in a thriller. The novel confronts issues such as Internet celebrity, social media culture, and extreme thrills. But it also explores timeless issues of love, loss, and the ways in which we are haunted by our pasts.

Set in Southern California’s Orange County and historic Pasadena, the plot follows two parallel sets of characters whose lives eventually intersect. The past intrudes in unwelcome ways for each character. Donna remains troubled by a previous marriage that turned sour when the husband became abusive. Her son Billy fears that he inherited his father’s propensity toward violence. Feelings of inadequacy haunt Asher from his years being bullied. Ruth hides a series of traumatic incidents from her youth. Jada’s craving for stimulation leads eventually to disaster.

Much more than just a ghost story, the novel is a study of individuals under stress. The curious reader will discover different layers of reality versus fiction within the book. In a world haunted by the ghosts of the past–where reality is manufactured for popular consumption–how do we know what is real and what is fake, what is true and what is imagined? After the shatter point, the horror will become all too real.

Author Jon O’Bergh, who grew up in Orange County, wrote the book after watching a documentary about extreme haunts. “It’s much more than just a ghost story,” he explains. “It’s really a study of people under stress. The story also plays with the challenge of distinguishing what is real from what is fake. I don’t want to give anything away, but the curious reader will discover different layers of reality versus fiction within the book.”

“If you enjoy a story that has twists, turns and surprises throughout, then Shatter Point by Jon O’Bergh is a perfect book for you. The way the writer has woven such detail into his characters and story lines is amazing. Each character is well constructed, especially the violent Billy and manipulative Jada. The author is a master of suspense that is so realistic it touches every one of your senses and gives you haunting goosebumps. A superb story from start to finish with tension, excitement, and thrills throughout. The occurrences in Ruth’s house were truly spooky. The ending was not what I was expecting. I would never have guessed the true killer. When I thought I knew what was going to happen, the author would take me in another direction. This is a perfect story for anyone who likes a good horror and whodunit mystery.”

“The Shatter Point is a fascinating, thrilling, exciting read that is so much more than a horror story wrapped in mystery. It focuses on different individuals’ personalities – Ruth, Asher, Jada, Donna, Phil, Billy – and delves into a person’s limitations and the effects of social media, social expectations, divorce, abusive relationships, and many more common modern problems on a person’s psyche. The subject matter and the plot itself are intense. What makes this story even more unique and impressive is how O’Bergh manages to perfectly turn these elements into essential ingredients that will brew the best thriller I have ever read. This is a story that will lull you into a false sense of security and just when you think you have everything figured out and have all the characters understood, it will pull the rug out from under you with a final twist and an unexpected ending I definitely did not see coming.”

“Each of these characters has their own storyline connected to one concerning the haunt, that will lead to something horrible. A mix of suspense with horror (ghosts), it shows how in today’s world of social media, extreme haunts, and different kinds of people with their own agendas, can lead to a breaking point that I never would have guessed for the ending.”

“I actually liked how this book really showed well how today’s society is wrapped up in social media and how it seems to not be able to exist without it, and how it can seriously negatively impact people’s life, which we have seen many times now. As a paranormal book, there were really only hints of that with a couple of ghost sightings so to me this was more a suspense contemporary book than a paranormal one. All in all I definitely enjoyed reading this book.”

Jon O’Bergh is an author and musician. He was born and raised in Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California at Irvine. His latest novel, “The Shatter Point,” is a mystery wrapped in a ghost story wrapped in a thriller. He has written two books that link music and stories, and co-authored “Elliptical: The Music of Meshell Ndegeocello.” He has also released over a dozen albums in a variety of styles, including the atmospheric album “Ghost Story.” After living many years in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., he now spends most of his time in Toronto.

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